Valence and Conduction Bands in Silicon

Valence and conduction bands explain how electrons behave in solids. In isolated atoms, electrons occupy discrete energy levels that the Bohr model describes well. The hydrogen atom, for example, has specific electron energies labeled by the quantum number n, and higher n values give levels that are less negative and closer ...

Solids are composed of atoms with distinct electronic configurations and energy levels.

When two identical isolated atoms are brought close together, their interaction causes each energy level to split into two distinct levels.

This splitting is a result of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that no two electrons in an ato...